Conveyer



Dec. 2, 1941. w, c, UR AY 2,2,64,674

GONVEYER Filed Oct. 22, 1940 -2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 2, 1941. w. MURRAYCONVEYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

Filed Oct. 22, 1940 Patented Dec. 2, 1941 UNITED srArss mam (JONVEYERWilliam, Cameron. Murray, Oldbury, England,

assignor to New. Conveyor Company Limited,

Oldbury, England Application October 22, 1940, Serial No. 362,284

In Great Britain October 31, 1939 1 Claim.

This invention relates to conveyers for powdered, granular or othermaterial, and has for its object to provide an improved conveyer of thekind in which flights are pivoted at intervals to an endless carrier,and are adapted to move or convey the material through a passage betweencharging and discharging positions.

The invention comprises a conveyer of the kind aforesaid having flightswhich are pivoted to the carrier and are provided with slots throughwhich adjacent parts of the carrier extend, the slots being closed ateach end, and being adapted to permit pivotal movements of the flightsrelatively to the carrier.

In the accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings:

Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation of a horizontal conveyerembodying the invention.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are respectively a sectional side elevation, a planand a sectional end elevation illustrating to a larger scale than Figurel a part of the carrier and some of the flights shown in the latterfigure.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the inventionapplied to a conveyer having horizontal and vertical portions.

In carrying the invention into effect as shown in Figures 1 to 4, Iemploy a flexible carrier 0. in the form of an endless chain which issupported and movable in the direction of the arrows (Figure 1) by endsprockets as b and at intervals along the carrier I pivot to it aplurality of flights c in the form of plates. Preferably the carrier aconsists as shown of a plurality of links pivoted together. Each flightc is formed or provided on its leading side i. e. the side facing in thedirection of movement of the carrier 0, with a pair of outwardlyprojecting parts in the form of arms d which are situated at oppositesides of the carrier, the pivotal connection between the flight andcarrier being effected by a pin e passing through the outer ends of thearms on the flight and through the carrier. Alternatively only one sucharm may be formed or provided on each flight. Also each flight c isformed with a slot ,1 which is situated at right angles to the pivot pine, and through which the adjacent part of the carrier 0. extends. Thisslot 1 is closed at each end and permits a limited amount of pivotalmovement of the flight c relatively to the carrier a.

The passage 9 (hereinafter termed the transfer passage) through whichthe flights c are adapted to move or carry the powdered, granular orother material between charging and discharging P sitions contains theoperative part of the carrier a and the corresponding flights.Preferably and as shown another passage 71. is provided foraccommodating the inoperative or return part of the carrier a and itsflights c, the two passages being interconnected at their ends byhousings as 2' containing the end sprockets as b of the carrier.

At any convenient positions the transfer passage g is provided with acharging opening 1' and a discharge opening 7c for the material to bemoved or carried along the passage by the flights c, the latter beingeach of corresponding shape as and approximately equal in area to thecross section of the passage. The material to be conveyed is supplied tothe charging opening 7' from a hopper Z.

The transfer passage g may be arranged in a horizontal, vertical orinclined position, or it may have intercommunicating parts arranged inany of these positions.

When the transfer passage 9 is arranged horizontally, as shown in Figurel, or slightly inclined to the horizontal, the discharge opening it isprovided in or at one end of the base 111. of the passage, and theflights c situated in the passage are held in operative positions withtheir lower edges pressed against the base of the passage by contact ofthe carrier a with the lower ends of the slots f in the flights, thearrangement being such that upon reaching the discharge opening theflights swing downwardly under the action of gravity until arrested bycontact of the carrier with the upper ends of the slots in the flights,the resulting impacts causing any material adhering to the flights to beremoved.

When the transfer passage 9 is arranged wholly or partly in a verticalposition as shown in Figure 5, or in a position slightly inclined to thevertical, the discharge opening is may be provided at the upper end ofthe front wall m of the passage which may be inclined outwardly at itsupper end. The flights c situated in the passage g are held in operativeinclined positions with their outer edges pressed against the front wallof the passage by contact of the carrier a with the outer ends of theslots 1 in the flights. For enabling the flights c to be retained by thecarrier 0. in their inoperative positions during their movement past atleast the greater part of the discharge opening k, guide strips as n areprovided at the upper end of the front wall m of the passage y, theseguide strips forming in effect continuations of the said wall.

After passing the discharge opening is in either from one side of thetransfer passage 9 to the other in negotiating or passing between bendssuch as that shown in the lower part of Figure 5, in this passagewithout imposing undue strain on the flights and without coming intocontact with the walls of the passage.

By this invention I am able to convey powdered, granular or othermaterial in any direction beof the examples above described, the flightsc tween charging and discharging positions without risk of injury to thematerials, or of binding of the flights in the transfer passage.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A conveyer for powdered, granular or other material, comprising thecombination of a trans fer passage, an endless carrier extending throughthe passage, and flights pivoted at intervals to the carrier on axesspaced from the flights for moving the material through the passagebetween charging and discharging positions, the flights being providedwith slots through which adjacent parts of the carrier extend and whichare closed at each end so that the flights are capable of pivotalmovements relatively to the carrier but prevent contact between thecarrier and passage.

WILLIAM CAMERON MURRAY.

